Jewel Cave Visitor Center Expansion Announced

Jewel Cave National Monument is receiving a long-awaited attention in the form of a big expansion to the visitor center and bookstore.

Part of the original plan from the 1960’s — abandoned when the project ran out of funding — a new 15,000-square-foot expansion to the existing building will add space for classrooms, theater space and more displays for educational items.

We knew we had to up our game to ensure that we were upholding the experience of Black Hills summer attractions. Larry Johnson, Jewel Cave Superintendent

The price tag for the work comes in at $671,000, will be funded entirely by park fees, and not taxes. For each visit to the park, 80 percent of the fees are kept by the park itself, while the remaining 20 percent is handed over to the Park Service who alot it to projects such as this expansion.

The Rapid City Journal tells that the Pedersen Excavating Inc. of Spearfish, South Dakota was awarded the contract for the project.

Monty Pedersen, of Pedersen Excavating, explained to the paper that some details of the contract are still being worked out, so a projected finish date has not yet been established.